Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati university
AimTo describe the lived experiences of expatriate students enrolled in an academic institution in the UAE and explore suggested improvement strategies to address their challenges.BackgroundExploring the experiences of expatriate students is crucial for three main reasons. First, expatriate students...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1472724/full |
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| author | Fatma Refaat Ahmed Ramadan Ezat Awad Huda M. Nassir Shahd Tarek Mostafa Batool Ghiath Oujan Basem Ali Mohamed Loai A. H. Abumukheimar Mini Sara Abraham Nabeel Al-Yateem Muna Al-tamimi Richard Mottershead Jacqueline Maria Dias Muhammad Arsyad Subu Mohannad Eid AbuRuz |
| author_facet | Fatma Refaat Ahmed Ramadan Ezat Awad Huda M. Nassir Shahd Tarek Mostafa Batool Ghiath Oujan Basem Ali Mohamed Loai A. H. Abumukheimar Mini Sara Abraham Nabeel Al-Yateem Muna Al-tamimi Richard Mottershead Jacqueline Maria Dias Muhammad Arsyad Subu Mohannad Eid AbuRuz |
| author_sort | Fatma Refaat Ahmed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AimTo describe the lived experiences of expatriate students enrolled in an academic institution in the UAE and explore suggested improvement strategies to address their challenges.BackgroundExploring the experiences of expatriate students is crucial for three main reasons. First, expatriate students play a key role in the UAE’s sustainable socio-economic development and diversification. Second, cultural differences among expatriate students raise personal, social, and academic challenges, including pedagogical issues concerning teaching and learning styles and effectiveness. Third, given the global importance of internationalization, expatriates’ experiences should be considered an issue of customer satisfaction.MethodA descriptive, qualitative, narrative study using indirect Colaizzi content analysis of 23 expatriate students’ reflections on their experiences and suggested recommendations.ResultsThe consistent themes cited by participants concerning their experiences centered on dormitory-study life balance, socialization and support networks, and navigating financial challenges. They identified areas for improvement in terms of professional, social, peer, and self-support.ConclusionDeveloping an effective support system is essential to ensure a smooth expatriate student experience. The study findings propose suggestions and recommendations that may help in future planning, including maximizing professional support, providing peer tutoring, boosting academic advising and consultation, encouraging student socialization, and guiding self-development as necessary. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1714d7f9917e4702a57ed82ce25d7e6e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-1714d7f9917e4702a57ed82ce25d7e6e2025-02-06T07:09:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-02-011010.3389/feduc.2025.14727241472724Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati universityFatma Refaat Ahmed0Ramadan Ezat Awad1Huda M. Nassir2Shahd Tarek Mostafa3Batool Ghiath Oujan4Basem Ali Mohamed5Loai A. H. Abumukheimar6Mini Sara Abraham7Nabeel Al-Yateem8Muna Al-tamimi9Richard Mottershead10Jacqueline Maria Dias11Muhammad Arsyad Subu12Mohannad Eid AbuRuz13Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesHind Bint Maktoum College of Nursing and Midwifery, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesAimTo describe the lived experiences of expatriate students enrolled in an academic institution in the UAE and explore suggested improvement strategies to address their challenges.BackgroundExploring the experiences of expatriate students is crucial for three main reasons. First, expatriate students play a key role in the UAE’s sustainable socio-economic development and diversification. Second, cultural differences among expatriate students raise personal, social, and academic challenges, including pedagogical issues concerning teaching and learning styles and effectiveness. Third, given the global importance of internationalization, expatriates’ experiences should be considered an issue of customer satisfaction.MethodA descriptive, qualitative, narrative study using indirect Colaizzi content analysis of 23 expatriate students’ reflections on their experiences and suggested recommendations.ResultsThe consistent themes cited by participants concerning their experiences centered on dormitory-study life balance, socialization and support networks, and navigating financial challenges. They identified areas for improvement in terms of professional, social, peer, and self-support.ConclusionDeveloping an effective support system is essential to ensure a smooth expatriate student experience. The study findings propose suggestions and recommendations that may help in future planning, including maximizing professional support, providing peer tutoring, boosting academic advising and consultation, encouraging student socialization, and guiding self-development as necessary.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1472724/fullcontent analysishealthcare educationhealth sciencesexpatriate studentspedagogical recommendationsUAE |
| spellingShingle | Fatma Refaat Ahmed Ramadan Ezat Awad Huda M. Nassir Shahd Tarek Mostafa Batool Ghiath Oujan Basem Ali Mohamed Loai A. H. Abumukheimar Mini Sara Abraham Nabeel Al-Yateem Muna Al-tamimi Richard Mottershead Jacqueline Maria Dias Muhammad Arsyad Subu Mohannad Eid AbuRuz Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati university Frontiers in Education content analysis healthcare education health sciences expatriate students pedagogical recommendations UAE |
| title | Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati university |
| title_full | Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati university |
| title_fullStr | Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati university |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati university |
| title_short | Ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students: towards an understanding of experiences, needs, and suggested recommendations in an Emirati university |
| title_sort | ups and downs of expatriate health sciences students towards an understanding of experiences needs and suggested recommendations in an emirati university |
| topic | content analysis healthcare education health sciences expatriate students pedagogical recommendations UAE |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1472724/full |
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